Saturday, August 1, 2009

Where Aunt Debbi Goes to Work on the Farm

Today was the big day. I visited Eden's Garden the CSA farm I have joined for a working share. For three hours of work per week during the three growing seasons (approximately 30 weeks) I will get my share. This is a pretty good deal at approximately a $15 per hour exchange and I will love the work. Hopefully, I can one day use what I learn from this farm to help develop a community garden in my own town. This farm is only about 15 minutes from our home and about five from the library. Now I am looking forward to learning and eating.

We love our little garden, but it just doesn't produce enough food for us and I want the boys to experience a real farm like I was able to as a child. That's right kids are encouraged to work. There were little girls running around catching grasshoppers and feeding them to the rooster. This is going to be great for us.

Turns out that the farmer worked at the same nursery I used to work at, just at different times. She says the strongest pesticide they have ever used is Bt. One of the members is a retired engineer and he designed a wind turbine and solar panel set up to run the pumps that move the water from the stock tank to the plants. This is the first time I have ever seen a homemade wind turbine. It is pvc pipe cut into the blades, a metal frame and there are license plates as louvers to turn the blades into the wind. The whole thing is painted green. Gotta show Manly. Maybe he can do it for us here.

Since I stayed up until after 1:00 am last night, after my morning in the library and the farm tour, I was worn out. I took a late afternoon nap and woke up to thunder rolling in. It looked like one storm from the south and one from the north west collided right over our house. The air smelled like electricity and the sky was green. My rain barrel filled up in minutes. We pulled up the overflow buckets and all four of them are full as well as the rain barrel. We had more than 2.5 inches in about 45 minutes. I was so worried about not having enough rain this summer, but the last couple of weeks have been blessedly wet.

Update, news says the middle school across the street only reported 1.67 inches. Can't be true.

Debbie girl .. wow on the work for share program .. I had no idea that sort of thing happened .. pick your own is as close as I have ever gotten to that.Homemade wind turbines .. that is grea ! .. we have some awesom ones on an island just off of Kingston .. they are amazing .. they are giants (the residents fought them tooth and nail which was ridiculous .. hell, put one in my backyard to save on utilities and I would be a happy camper .. I'd grow a vines over it to look "green" ? ; )We are having some summer rain at the moment and it is lovely ! : )